What important safety information should I know about LUCENTIS?

LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye, and it has side effects. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and serious infections inside the eye. You should not use LUCENTIS if you have an infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients.

Uncommonly, LUCENTIS patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes.

Some patients have had increased eye pressure before and within 1 hour of an injection.

Serious side effects include inflammation inside the eye and, rarely, problems related to the injection procedure, such as cataracts. These side effects can make your vision worse.

The most common eye-related side effects are increased redness in the white of the eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, and increased eye pressure. The most common non-eye-related side effects are nose and throat infections, headache, lung/airway infections, and nausea.

If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, or painful, or if you have a change in vision, call or visit your eye doctor right away.

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Why LUCENTIS?

LUCENTIS is supported by over a decade of clinical research. Approved by the FDA in 2006, LUCENTIS has been studied in 4 key trials that included 1,873 patients with wet AMD.

9 out of 10 maintained* or improved vision

In clinical studies, 9 out of 10 people receiving LUCENTIS once a month for 2 years maintained* or improved vision.

*Defined as losing fewer than 15 letters on the eye chart.

Possible serious side effects of LUCENTIS

Serious side effects include inflammation inside the eye and, rarely, problems related to the injection procedure, such as cataracts. These side effects can make your vision worse.

Some patients gained 21 letters

Two years after starting treatment, people in 2 clinical trials who received LUCENTIS once a month were able to read an average of 21 more letters on the eye chart than people who did not receive LUCENTIS.

What does seeing 21

more letters mean?

Your Retina Specialist uses an eye chart to measure your vision. The farther down the chart you can see—as the letters get smaller—the better your vision.

The chance for 20/40 vision

Up to 50% of patients maintained or improved their visual acuity to 20/40 or better after 1 year with LUCENTIS treatments.

What is 20/40 vision?

You've probably heard of 20/20 vision, which is considered normal vision. You can also see well with 20/40 vision. If you have 20/40 vision, you can typically sit near the back of a theater and see what's going on up front.

Up to 5 out of 10 patients maintained or improved their visual acuity to 20/40 or better after 1 year with LUCENTIS treatments. Individual results may vary.

Important safety information

What are the side effects with LUCENTIS?

Possible serious side effects

LUCENTIS is a medicine that is injected by your doctor into the eye. Like all medicines, LUCENTIS has possible side effects. It is important for you to know what they are.

LUCENTIS is not for everyone

Talk with your eye doctor if you have:

Infections in or around the eye

An allergy to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients

Although it is uncommon, some people treated with LUCENTIS may have a life-threatening side effect.

Your doctor will stop treatment if any serious side effects occur. Be sure to contact your doctor if there are any signs of side effects.

Possible serious reactions related to the injection

Serious reactions have occurred related to the injection. They have happened in fewer than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) of people. These reactions can make your vision worse.

Serious infections inside the eye

Detached retinas

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the eye. It sends visual messages through the optic nerve to the brain. When the retina detaches, it is lifted or pulled from its normal position.

Cataracts

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye.

Other side effects that are serious but not common include:

Inflammation (swelling) inside the eye

Increased eye pressure

Some people have increased eye pressure before and within 1 hour after an injection. Your eye doctor should check your eyes and your eye pressure during the week after your injection.

Serious side effects (uncommon, but sometimes fatal)

Strokes

A stroke happens when a blood vessel that carries oxygen to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. This means that part of the brain cannot get the oxygen it needs. As a result, the brain gets damaged.

Heart attacks

A heart attack happens when a blood vessel that carries oxygen to the heart is either blocked by a clot or bursts. This means that part of the heart cannot get the oxygen it needs. As a result, the heart gets damaged.

Other problems related to blood clots

When to call your doctor

Call or visit your eye doctor right away if:

Your eye becomes red, painful, or sensitive to light

You have a change in your vision

Most common eye-related side effects

Here are the most common eye-related side effects in clinical studies of LUCENTIS:

Increased redness in the white part of the eye

Eye pain

Small specks in vision

Increased eye pressure

Most common non-eye-related side effects

Here are the most common non-eye-related side effects in clinical studies of LUCENTIS: